“Air Liquide reported that it recently started up the world’s largest helium purification and liquefaction unit, a turnkey project at Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar. The new unit’s production capacity is approximately 38 million m3 of helium per year.

The high technologies Air Liquide uses to purify and liquefy helium at a very low temperature (-269°C) are proprietary. The liquefaction equipment is the world’s largest, measuring 20 meters long and more than 8 meters high. This helium liquefier is operated by RasGas.

The combined production capacity of this new unit and the existing unit on this site will be approximately 58 million m3 per year, making Qatar the world’s second largest producer of helium with 25% of current global production.

Under a long-term agreement with RasGas and Qatargas, Air Liquide will purchase 50% of the helium volumes produced by this new unit and the existing one. Access to this major helium source will position the Group as one of the main players in the worldwide helium market.”